Ali Mansour
Brand Manager, 4WD & Sport Utility
Though Most Of Us would only dream of screaming through the rugged terrain of Baja, California, with an 8,000-pound truck, the guys over at Carli Performance Suspension make it a habit. taking what they've learned on the dirt, Sage Carli and his crew created a series of suspension systems that you can build one step at a time, slowly creating (if you so desire) a full-on race-ready suspension that has survived the rigors of the Baja 1000.
The 3/4- and 1-ton Dodge Ram 4x trucks are known for their toughness and durability when fitted with the Cummins diesel. But in a world where "carlike ride" seems to be the hot topic, these rugged trucks still ride like trucks.
Since we spend so much time on a variety of terrain, the Performance 2.0 system was the perfect fit for our '06 Dodge 2500 as it keeps our suspension as simple as possible while achieving the best travel and ride quality. The kit comes complete with variable-rate coils, custom-valved reservoir shocks, and plenty of room for our 35-inch tires. From annoying concrete expansion joints to 2-foot whoops at the trail head, we still are amazed that our Quad Cab can absorb so much punishment. While netting around 3 inches of lift, you'll have a sleeper truck that is built to haul on and off the road.
Although the standard Performance 2.0 kit comes with a five-leaf progressive add-a-pack, we chose to upgrade to the complete replacement leaf pack. Using a softer rate than factory, combined with a longer overall length, the springs take much of the harshness out of the factory ride while still providing a comparable loadcarrying capacity. though we are sticking with our 35-inch BFg A-ts for now, the new springs set the axle back a little farther than stock to allow room for a 37-inch tire if we decide to upgrade later.
Load Capacity
There is always a bit of give and take when it comes to performance suspension systems, and rarely has there been as good a compromise as Carli's new long-trail airbags. they provide an impressive 12 inches of travel to obtain maximum suspension travel without killing the towing capacity. Designed to match your Dodge's factory load rating, the bags will keep your workhorse pumped up during the week and allow you to blow off all the steam you want when the weekend rolls around.
Driving Impressions
The first thing you notice is the night and day difference on the highway. no longer does the truck feel as though it's bouncing over the expansion breaks, but rather it soaks up whatever the road throws at it. High-speed off-road is really where the suspension shines, absorbing massive whoops and uneven terrain at speeds of 40-plus mph. We wouldn't really consider our truck much of a rockcrawler, but with over 10 inches of travel, our 2500 held its own over the rocky stuff even with open differentials.
